rife

adjective

ˈrīf How to pronounce rife (audio)
Definition of rifenext
as in filled
possessing or covered with great numbers or amounts of something specified a city government that is rife with malfeasance and corruption

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rife This is a more bullish take than the German bank's previous forecast on June 23, written when inflation fears were rife. — Joseph Wilkins, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2026 Tensions are also rife over the mine’s water consumption and the terms of its community-benefit agreement. — Justin Worland, Time, 4 Aug. 2026 Speculation was rife; one unproven theory was that someone had heated the sensor with a hairdryer. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 17 July 2026 The returnees have strained local communities, many of which already have scant resources in a country where poverty is rife and malnutrition stalks the most vulnerable. — ABC News, 8 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for rife
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rife
  1. filled
  2. crowded
  3. fraught
  4. abundant
  5. awash
  6. packed
  7. teeming
  8. jammed
Adjective
  • New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania have introduced or passed legislation penalizing the practice and requiring employers to disclose hiring timelines or remove filled postings, while Texas has opened its own investigation into a major job board.
    — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Maybe the sign-up flow has too many fields, the first action users need to take isn't obvious or there's a setting that should have been pre-filled.
    — Kelli Behan-Aspland, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of filled
Adjective
  • Gleason said pursuits are typically limited to two or three police cars to reduce road chaos, but there appeared to be at least five or six in this chase on a crowded road.
    — Brittany Wallman, Miami Herald, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Earlier this year, Becerra was a single-digit polling afterthought in the crowded race to replace Newsom, who is termed-out.
    — Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of crowded
Adjective
  • Her fraught bunny legacy ultimately empowered other women, inspiring a new generation to claim their own stories.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Given today’s political climate, one that’s only grows more fraught, its message will likely be just as necessary five years from now.
    — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of fraught
Adjective
  • Price controls don't make scarce goods abundant, risky loans safe or bad choices cost-free.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Some 350 million years ago, the Carboniferous Period was a fecund era in the planet’s history; plant life was abundant and the earth was warm and wet.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of abundant
Adjective
  • Even way back then, in 2021, social platforms were awash in fake views, fake likes, fake traffic, and fake engagement.
    — Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Social media ahead of the Lincoln’s visit has been awash with jibes about lusty sailors, but recent visitors say the development of more family-friendly attractions means the new, more wholesome Pattaya overshadows its former seedy self.
    — Grant Peck, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of awash
Adjective
  • Nearly 24,000 people, in a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium, settled in to watch the fight — or at least the start of it.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Dsquared2 and Brioni will unveil their new collections at their respective showrooms, adding to a packed schedule of presentations and events.
    — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of packed
Adjective
  • The new findings are confounding scientists’ expectations, raising questions about how exactly molecules can encounter their reactive partners in a teeming, crowded space — and therefore how cells can possibly function.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 18 Feb. 2026
Definition of teeming
Adjective
  • The boat was packed with narrow benches, which in turn were jammed with children.
    — Ali Asif Shawon, NPR, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Residents described idling in traffic as roads became jammed with evacuees.
    — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of jammed

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Cite this Entry

“Rife.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rife. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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